A report published recently brings bad news about air pollution. It suggests that it could be as damaging to our health as exposure to the radiation from the 1986 Ukraine nuclear power disaster the report was published by the UK Royal commission on environmental Pollution but what can city people do to reduce exposure to air pollution? Quite a lot, it turns out.

Avoid walking in busy streets. Choose side streets and parks instead. Pollution levels can fall a considerable amount just by moving a few meters away from the main pollution source exhaust fumes(烟气). Also don t walk behind smokers. Walk on the windward side of the street where exposure to pollutants can be 50 percent less than on the downwind side.

Sitting on the drivers side of a bus can increase your exposure by 10 percent, compared exposure. It is difficult to say whether traveling on an underground train is better or worse than taking the bus air pollution on underground trains tends to be less toxic than that at street level, because underground pollution is mostly made up of tiny iron particles thrown up by wheels hitting the rails but diesel and petrol fumes have a mixture of pollutants.

When you are crossing a road, stand well back from the curb while you wait for the light to change. Every meter really does count when you are close to traffic. As the traffic begins to move fumes can be reduced in just a few seconds so holding your breath for just a moment can make a difference, even though it might sound silly.

There are large sudden pollution increases during rush hours. Pollution levels fall during nighttime. The time of year also makes a big difference. Pollution levels tend to be at their lowest during spring and autumn when winds are freshest. Extreme cold or hot weather has a trapping effect and tends to cause a build-up of pollutants.

1.What is the passage mainly about?答:How to breathe fresh air in big cities.

2.According to the report, air pollution in big cities can be more serious than we used to think

3.When you walk in a busy street, you should walk on the side where the wind is coming

4.If you take a bus in a big city in China, you should sit on the right side in the bus

5.It is implied in the passage that the air pollution on an underground train is less poisonous.

Passage Two

My father had a small business employing about 15 people at any given time. We sold all sorts of dairy products, and many more, from a small store in front of the dairy building. During the summer months, rows of eager tourists lined up at that ice cream counter for a taste of my fathers exquisite homemade ice cream.

Because it was an extremely busy little store, the employees had to work very quickly for hours at a time, with little rest. One day, in 1976, we had a new employee, Debbie, who wanted to work in the store for the summer. She had never done this type of work before, but planned to give it her all.

On her first day, Debbie made just about every mistake in the book. She added up the sales wrong on the cash register. She charged the wrong prices for items. She gave the wrong bag of food to the wrong customer. And she dropped and broke a half-gallon of milk.

I couldn’t stand watching her struggle any longer. I went into my father s office and said “please go out there and put her out of her misery.” I expected him to walk right into the store and fire her on the spot.

Since my father s office was situated within view of the sales counter, he had no doubt seen what I was talking about. He got up from his desk and walked over to Debbie, who was standing behind the counter.

“Debbie,” he said, as he put his hand gently on her shoulder. “I have been watching you and I saw how you treated Mrs. Forbush. Debbie's face began to flush, and she looked as if she was about to cry. She struggled to remember Mrs. Forbush from the many women she had given the wrong change to or spilled milk on.

My father continued. “I’ve never seen Mrs. Forbush be so polite before. You really .knew how to handle her. I am sure she is going to want you to wait on her every time comes in. Keep up the good work.”

My father was a wise and compassionate employer. Because of this, Debbie became loyal and hard-working employee for 16 years--and a friend for life.

3.When the author’s father first mentioned Mrs. Forbush, Debbie thought that she would be punished.

4.The author’s father didn’t do what the author had suggested.

5.It can be concluded from the way author’s father treated Debbie that encouragement can make people improve

Passage Three

I saw an ad for a device that allows your dog to talk to you. Bow Lingual, a Japanese invention, entered the American market couple of weeks ago. Named “The Dog Translator,” it sold more than 250, 000 units before heading here. And don’t forget that it was sold at the price of $ 120 each.

It's quite simple, really. A radio microphone attaches to your dog’s collar, and a handheld receiver “translates” barks into 200 different phrases. The device determines your dog’s emotion at the moment: happy sad, frustrated, on-guard, assertive and needy. ( In case you have a dog that barks only in Japanese or Korean it comes with those translations, too. )

As interesting as this new device is--again, I’m kicking myself here--any dog owner worth his Milk-Bones knows this might not be all that necessary a purchase. Our dog, Murphy, for instance, has never had any problem whatsoever communicating with us. Not once in 13 years. Odd as it seems, we can figure out quite quickly what’s on her mind. Just the cock of her head will often do it translation: “Surely you’re taking me with you.” Sometimes it's a solitary bark at the kitchen door after dinner. Translation: “You forgot my treat, Buster!” And sometimes its 100 barks in a row. Translation:” the mailman is here! The mailman is here! Can’t you hear him attacking our house ?”

But I think I witnessed the ultimate dog communication technique years ago. It was a neighbors dog. I can’t remember the breed or name. All I remember is how bright she was she had no need for Bow Lingual. Whenever frustrated with her family, which appeared to be quite often, she would stroll into the living room, turn her back to them and sit directly in front of the TV they were watching. And pee. No translation needed. And you need not be smart or rich to figure that out.

1.We can infer from the passage that sale of “The Dog Translator” in Japanwas quite successful

2.“The Dog Translator” is quiet simple and easy to use

3.What will the author’s dog Murphy do at the kitchen door to remind them of her dinner? She will give one bark.

4.What does the phrase ”in a row” in paragraph 3 mean? One after another.

5.The author seems to think that “The Dog Translator” is popular but useless

Passage Four

Running late again I rushed into the Cub Scouts parents meeting, noting the surplus of empty chairs. At least, I wasn’t the only one running behind, I told myself with great relief.

The Cubmaster checked his watch, and with a barely audible sigh, started the meeting. As the Cubmaster explained the challenges that the group faced in the coming year, he pointed out that the empty chars, which should have been filled with parent volunteers, were our biggest obstacles.

Before i could change my mind, I raised my hand to volunteer as den ( 幼年童子军小队) leader. Although I knew next to nothing about teaching a group of noisy and restless second--graders I was determined to make it work

My first den meeting was as chaotic and noisy as the first day of a county fair. The boys were too excited to sit still. What have I gotten myself into? I wondered, composing a letter of resignation in my head.

Much to my surprise, the boys actually annoyed themselves. They even Invited their mends to join our den, and before long, our ranks swelled from four boys to ten. My son was thrilled to have his mom as den leader; it gave him bragging rights on the playground.

As I walked through the school's parking lot, it was rare when one of “my” boys didn’t call out a greeting or stop me for a quick hug and a story to share. They would talk with me about the little things going on in their lives--whether it was a loose tooth ready to wiggle its that meeting and those who would never know this joy. After all, I gave those boys only one hour of my time every week, but they rewarded me with their hearts.

2.The author began to feel guilty when the master talked about the problem.

3.It can be learned that the author was willing to take the challenge.

4.At first the author considered spending time with children difficult but worthy.

5.The last paragraph is mainly written to show that our efforts on children are rewarding.

Part II Reading Comprehension(40 points)阅读理解二

Passage One

They may be one of Britain s most successful exports and among the worlds most popular TV shows, ranking alongside the world cup final and the Olympic Games opening ceremony in terms of audience. But in Britain, beauty competitions are unfashionable. To most people, beauty contests seem as out-dated as bowing and curtseying. Nicola Baker, a lawyer in London,, said that “As much as I think it’s fine for women to do it, I don t think its interesting and in fact, I think they’re irrelevant to today.” Last year, Miss World was broadcast to 142 countries, but it wasn't even shown in the country where it started in 1951.

It wasn’t always this way in Britain. Once, beauty queens dated footballers, traveled the world and were guaranteed fame, fortune and fun. Now, they open new supermarkets, are sponsored by dry - cleaning companies and, if they’re lucky, they get free clothes from supermarkets.

When Francesca Marchant was crowned Miss Sussex in 1969 it was something to be extremely proud of. “I came from a small town, and all my friends were green with envy when they found out I'd won my boyfriend at the time thought it was terrific and boasted to everyone that he was going out with a beauty queen.”

But the good times couldn’t last the feminist movement gathered momentum. Some women were determined to bring an end to these cattle shows nowadays, saying that you were a beauty queen just doesn’t sound good.

Miss world organizers claim that contestants are judged on qualities other than just their physical appearance. But, Jacques Gold, England’s representative at this year’s contest was not chosen because of her academic record the miss world website states that she left school having gained many computer qualifications and certificates in first aid and life not much of an education.

The only time the contests attract attention now is because of the protesters. At the 1999 Miss world in Britain around 60 demonstrators hurled flour bombs and fought with the nest aex k nes saying fat girls are cool " and women’s bodies are not for sale.

1. In terms of audience beauty contest shows in Britain are now unpopular among most people.

2. The attitude of Nicola Baker towards beauty contests shows is that these shows are behind the times.

3. In the 60s and 70s, beauty queens were admired by most people.

4. Jacqueline Gold was chosen as the representative at this year’s beauty contest because she was judged on her physical appearance other than her qualities.

5. Now the beauty contests can sometimes cause stirs in Britain.

Passage Two

My mother was a vocal supporter of physical punishment but for all her talking she hasnever hit my sister and me only once instead she found ways of punishment that left a morelasting memory.

One day at daycare i watched an extremely tired mother attempt to pick up her daughter The little girl asked momma are we going to mcdonalds for dinner ? the mother replied, Honey not tonight momma has to run a few errands but i wanna go susie i said not tonight susie immediately dropped to the floor . kicking and screaming i want to go to mcdonalds.

No amount of pleading or scolding her mother tried stopped susies tantrum ( )Finally her mother gave in okay susie let s go to mcdonalds . to say i was amazed would be inaccurate : i was delighted that anything i wanted could be had by throwing a tantrum.

That day my mother picked me up early from daycare because we were going to sears &Roebuck . i was excited by the lights and decorations walked through the toy section i saw a toy i had to hav e mama can i have that telephone She replied baby not now but if you are a good girl maybe santa will bring it to you but mama i want that telephone right now tightened on mine.

By now we were standing in the long holiday line and i figured it was now or never I lay down on the ground and began screaming over and over again th e christmas shoppers looked as my mother calmly said becky you better get up by the count of three or else One two . . three

Nothing . i was still in full tantrum so then she lay down beside me on the noor , and began kicking and screaming at a new car , i want a new house i want some jewelry Shocked i stood up mama stop mama get up i tearfully pleaded.

She stood and brushed herself off at first stunned the others waiting in line began to sporadically clap some parents shook their heads at me and said with a smile i bet you ' ll never try that again And i d idn t becau se it left a lasting mental picture more effective than any physical mark.

1.The author’s mother was for physical in theory, but seldom carried it out

2.What happened between Susie and her mother provided the author with a new idea

3.The author began to misbehave while they were waitingin line to check out

4.Whatwas the attitude of the otherparents toward the author’s mother? Appreciative

5.Which of the following is probably the best title for the passage?When the Daughter Was in Tanturm

Passage Three

For many years officials of the national institutes of health have told Americans that they need to get enough sleep to stay healthy and perform w ell in the past the nih targeted special groups , like drivers soldiers and astronauts.

No health officials have begun a campaign to urge children to get enough sleep the officials say children need at least nine hours of sleep every night . they say research shows that children who get this much sleep perform better in school suffer fewer accidents and are less likely to become too fat.

Studies show that lack of sleep es tiredness and problems with clear thinking People who do not get enough sleep be me angry easily and have trouble controlling their emotion Among children problems that result from lack of sleep often are mistaken for more serious disorders unlike adults tired children seem to have endless energy some doctors mistakenly identify this as hyperactivity. Experts say many american teenagers are not getting enough sleep . teenagers stay up

later for several reasons i neld ng schoo iw ork after school activities and late night fun. Many high school students in the united states start school every early in the morning

Four years ago ed ucat ion officials in m minneapolis m innesota changed the starting time of seven high schools the officials delayed the starting time by almost ninety minutes a university of minnesota study found that attendance at the high schools improved after the starting time was changed e low ever the later start did not greatly affect the performance

of the students still school systems in other parts of the country are discussing later starting times for high school students

The american academy of pediatrics represents doctors who treat children it notes that many sleep disorders first develop in childhood it says doctors often do not identify the disorder until years later. The group has agreed to join in a study with the national center on sleep disorders. Research during the next five years they an to examine sleep problems in very young and older children they also will develop guides for doctors to use w hen testing for sleep.

1.It can be learned that health offcials used to think that children had enough sleep

2.Which of the following is caused by the shortage of sleep ?Lack of self-control

3.Tired children are different from tired adults in that the latter are more likely to be lacking in energy

4.Which of the following is NOT the reason for teenagers’ keeping late hours?Suffering from sleep disorder.

5.Change in the schools’ starting time may be adopted by more school in the fuyure

Passage Four

An american inventor dean kamen says he has invented the world s first self balancing individual transport vehicle called the segway human transporter. The segway looks like a long stick with two wheels the stick has handles for a person

to hold while the wheels are connected by a platform the person stands on the pla and holds the handles and turns them to go left or right . the vehicle moves forward or backward when the person moves his body in that direction.

The segway has computers and gyroscope devices to make it move and balance it is powered by batteries that can be recharged in a few hours by using an electric outlet . it can travel at a speed of nineteen kilometers per hour cost less than ten cents a day to operate. Mister kamen says the segway could replace cars in crowded city centers because it was designed to reduce pollution and solve other environmental problems in citi es 0f owey e r it was not designed to travel on roads.

Mister kamen is a successful inventor and president of the deka research and Development company near m anch ster new h moshi re he has invented about one hundred other device including some important medical devices such as an insulin pump for people a open blocked blood vessels in the heart and heelchair that can move up steps.

The segway will be for sale to the public next year at about three thousand dollars Several businesses are testing the vehicle now including the united states postal service and the bookseller amazon dot com some letter carriers will try riding the vehicles to deliver the mail amazon workers will use them to find books in their huge storage buildings police in two cities also will test the vehicles to see if they can be used for law enforcement.

Some technology experts have criticized the segway vehicle for being potentially dangerous to ride and for not protecting the rider from bad weather they say it holds only ca e m vehicle to avoid walking and getting exercise wever experts say th s interesting and could be used in many ways in the future.

1.How can a driver drive the Segwag forward?He should lean his body forward

2.The Segway is a vehicle that is environment-friendly

3.It is implied in the passage that the result of the Segway test is not yet known

4.Whoch of the following is NOT the criticism made on the Segway?It moves too slowly

5.The passage is mainly written to introduce a new invention to the public

Part II Reading Comprehension(40 points)阅读理解三

Passage One

“Freshman fifteen " is a term which means fifteen pounds or about seven kilograms-the weight students might expect to gain in their first year of college. People used to talk about the “freshman ten ” Before that, it was the “freshman five”

Are freshman more inflated or just the expression ?

The fact is many young men and women do put on extra weight when they start college. Some schools that have done research on the issue including Cornell university in Ithaca, New York, have found that freshmen gain an average of four pounds during their first twelve weeks the equivalent of two kilograms.

If weight gain continues at this rate, how long before they put on fifteen pounds ? The answer is forty-five weeks or almost a year.

The next question is w hy do so many freshmen gain weight ? the answers listed by experts are not so surprising one is poor diet : college students often eat foods high in fat and sugar and starch with no parents around to say no to junk food students may also miss meals they could be in class or studying or just . . . busy . in any case those who miss meals are more likely to overeat when they do have food also freshmen often use food to put their mind at ease they have college pressures to deal with . not only that many are living away from home for the first time . another reason college students gain weight is that they often do not get enough exercis e final ly there is something else that can add up to the " freshman five or ten or fifteen . alcohol alcohol is high in calories and this is especially true of beer And no freshmen are not supposed to be drinking not unless they are twenty one the legal drinking age in America.

For many college students the extra weight they put on in their freshman year can be as hard to escape as term papers and final exams.

1. Paragraph 1 is centered on how the “freshman fifteen” gets its name

2. It is implied that parents playa positive role in students’ eating habits

3. Which of the following is NOT the reason for freshmen’s weight gain? They spend more time in their study.

4. It can be said that alcohol is forbidden not only for freshmen but for all students under 21.

5. We can draw the conclusion that weight gain is unavoidable for many freshmen.

Passage Two

Writing is not an easy skill .It is both mental and physical .A person must be able to move the muscles in the hands and fingers to form letters and numbers. Some people are not able to move these muscles easily.

Experts say teachers and parents should suspect dysgraphia (书写困难) if they see handwriting that is unusually difficult to understand .Letters may be formed or spaced incorrectly. Capital letters may be in the wrong places.

Children with dysgraphia often hold their writing tools in an unusual position they may also place the paper in an odd position for writing the disorder generally appears when they first learn to write children continue to write wrong or misspelled words even after their teacher tries, to show them the correct way.

Experts at the National Institutes of Health say the cause of the disorder is not known. Some people with dysgraphia are able to improve their writing ability. But others are not. As with other disorders, the most important part of treatment is for someone to first identify the problem.

There are some simple interventions that can 最完美的地中海风情，不是意大利的热情，也不是希腊的蓝白相间，而是只有316平方公里的马耳他。elp students with dysgraphia. For example schools can give them more time to complete writing activities and provide help taking notes students might be permitted to type their work instead of having to write by hand teachers can also permit students to take examinations by speaking the answers instead of writing them.

Dysgraphia often appears with other learning disabilities. Some students may not be able to organize their thoughts and think about how to write at the same time . so a teacher might advise them to type their ideas first without thinking about writing skills.

Experts say people with dysgraphia may be able to write well if they work slowly and develop their skills.Technology can help . One way to avoid the problems of handwriting is to se a computer students can use the computer . Student can use the computer spell checker to help make sure every word is correct.

1. Children may be considered to have dysgraphia if their handwriting is unusually hard to understand.

2. Children with dysgraphia may show sign of the problem when they learn to write.

3. To treat dysgraphia, the most important thing is to discover the problem in children.

4. All the following methods can be used to help choldern with dysgraphia EXCERT allowing other students to write the answers for them.

5. The passage is mainly written for the teachers of the children with dysgraphia.

Passage Three

Sometime in the early 1990’s I was treating a woman in an intensive chemical dependency group let’s call her “Grace." Grace was a flight attendant and had beensuspended from her job with a major airline due to her untreated alcoholism.

After the eight week program, I suggested to her it might be a good idea to solidify her foundation in recovery before returning to work as she would be working in a high – risk environment ( serving alcohol being out of town alone etc . ) grace however . Returned to work shortly after completing treatment . one day while she was departing from a plane at the end of long day a major craving for alcohol overpowered her there she was . In the los Angeles international airport pulling her roller-bag behind her when this massive craving to drink came over her she tried to just think through it or " just forget about it . " but it was way too powerful . It was so powerful in fact that she had resigned to herself that she would Just go drink.

On her way to the bar in the airport grace had a moment of sanity. She stopped picked up the airport paging phone

and said , “will you please page friends of Bill W. , " she paused, quickly looking around for an empty gate, “ to come to gate 12 ?”

Within minutes, over the paging system in the LA International Airport came, “Will friends of Bill W. please come to Gate 12.” Most people in recovery know that asking if you are a friend of Bill W. is an anonymous way to identify yourself as a member of AA.

In less than five minutes there were about fifteen people at that gate from all over the world. That brought tears of

amazement, relief and joy to Grace. They had a little meeting there in that empty gate total strangers prior to that moment grace discovered that two of those people had gotten out of their boarding lines and missed their nights to answer that call for help. They had remembered what they had seen on many walls of meeting rooms when any one many walls ofmeeting rooms: When anyone, anywhere reaches out their hand for help, I want the hand of AA to be there and for that I am responsible.”

Grace did not drink that day. I would venture to guess that none of the people who came to Gate 12 drank that day either.

2. What was the author’s recommendation for Grace after her treatment program was over? She should not start work immediately after the treatment.

3. Grace was overwhelmed by the desire to drink, and decided to do it no matter what.

4. It can be learned from the passage that a member of AA refers to the people affected by alcoholism.

5. At Gate 12, Grace received the help she called for.

Passage Four

A married couple was in a car when the wife tuned to her husband and asked. “Would you like to stop for a drink?”“ No thank.” he answered truthfully. So they didn’t· stop. The result? The wife - who had indeed wanted to stop – becamirritated because she felt her preference had not been considered. The husband, seeing his wife was angry , became

Frustrated. Why didn’t she just say what she wanted?

Unfortunately he failed to see that his wife was asking the question not to get an instant decision but to begin a negotiation and the woman didn’t realize that when her husband said no, he was just expressing his preference not making a ruling when a man and woman interpret the same interchange in such conflicting ways. It’s no wonder they can find themselves leveling angry charges of selfishness at each other.

Research shows that the seemingly senseless misunderstandings that haunt our relationships can at least in part be

explained by the different conversational rules by which men and women often play.

Men grow up in a world in which a conversation is often a contest-either to gain the upper hand or to prevent other

people from pushing them around. For many women, however, talking is typically a way to exchange confirmation and

support women often think in term of closeness and support . they struggle to preserve intimacy . m en concerned with status, tend to focus on establishing independence.

1. Which of the following words is closest in meaning to “irritated” in Paragraph 1? Angry.

2. The woman considered her husband’s “no” answer as a (n)direct way to make decisions for her.

3. According to the passage, for many men talking is a means to get achievement.

4. By learning the other’s ways of talking, we maykeep our disagreements under control.

5. The passage is mainly concerned with why men and women misunderstand each other in their talks.

Passage Five

Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.

In 1950, a young man would have found it much easier than it is today to get and keep a job in the auto industry. And in that year the average autoworker could meet monthly mortgage (抵押贷款)payments on an average home with just 13.4 percent of his take-home pay. Today a similar mortgage would claim more than twice that share of his monthly earnings.

Other members of the autoworker's family, however, might be less inclined to trade the present for the past. His retired parents would certainly have had less economic security back then. Throughout much of the 1960s, more than a quarter of men and women age 65 and older lived below the poverty level, compared to less than 10 percent in 2010.

In most states, his wife could not have taken out a loan or a credit card in her own name. In 42 states, a homemaker had no legal claim on the earnings of her husband. And nowhere did a wife have legal protection against family violence.

Most black workers would not want to return to a time when, on average, they earned 40 percent less than their white counterparts (职位相对的人), while racially restrictive agreements largely prevented them from buying into the suburban neighborhoods being built for white working-class families.

Today, new problems have emerged in the process of resolving old ones, but the solution is not to go back to the past. Some people may long for an era when divorce was still hard to come by. The spread of no-fault divorce has reduced the bargaining power of whichever spouse is more interested in continuing the relationship. And the breakup of such marriages has caused pain for many families.

The growing diversity of family life comes with new possibilities as well as new challenges. Accord-ing to a recent poll, more than 80 percent of Americans believe that their current family is as close as the one in which they grew up, or closer. Finding ways to improve the lives of the remaining 20 percent seems more realistic than trying to restore an imaginary golden age.

61. What do we learn about American autoworkers in 1950? It was not too difficult for them to buy a house.

62. What does the author say about retired people today? They invariably long to return to the golden past.

63. Why couldn't black workers buy a house in a white suburban neighborhood? They were subjected to racial inequality.

64. What is the result of no-fault divorce? Divorce is easier to obtain.

65. What does the author suggest society do? Improve the lives of families with problems.

Passage Six

Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.

Various studies have shown that increased spending on education has not led to measurable improvements in learning. Between 1980 and 2008, staff and teachers at U.S. public schools grew roughly twice as fast as students. Yet students showed no additional learning in achievement tests.

Universities show similar trends of increased administration personnel and costs without greater learning, as documented in Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa's recent book Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses.

A survey shows that 63% of employers say that recent college graduates don't have the sldlls they need to succeed and 25% of employers say that entry-level writing skills are lacking.

Some simplistically attribute the decline in our public education system to the drain of skilled students by private schools, but far more significant events were at work.

Public schools worked well until about the 1970s. In fact, until that time, public schools provided far better education than private ones. It was the underperforming students who were thrown out of public schools and went to private ones.

A prominent reason public schools did well was that many highly qualified women had few options for worldng outside the house other than being teachers or nurses. They accepted relatively low pay,difficult working conditions, and gave their very best.

Having such a large supply of talented women teachers meant that society could pay less for their services. Women's liberation opened up new professional opportunities for women, and, over time, some of the best left teaching as a career option, bringing about a gradual decline in the quality of schooling.

Also around that time, regulations, government, and unions came to dictate pay, prevent ac~ustments,and introduce bureaucratic (官僚的) standard for advancement. Large education bureaucracies and unions came to dominate the landscape, confusing activity with achievement. Bureaucrats regularly rewrite curriculums, talk nonsense about theories of education, and require ever more admires" trators. The end result has been that, after all the spending, students have worse math and reading skills than both their foreign peers and earlier generations spending far less on education--as all the accumulating evidence now documents.

61. What do we learn from various studies on America's public education? Little improvement in education has resulted from increased spending.

62. How do some people explain the decline in public education? Skilled students are moving to private schools.

63. What was a significant contributor to the past glory of public schools? Talented women teachers.

64. Why did some of the best women teachers leave teaching? New career opportunities were made available to them by women's liberation.

65. What does the author think is one of the results of government involvement in education? An ever-growing number of administrators.

Passage Seven

It is becoming more and more difficult to be sure that the food we eat is not actually harming us. We seem to get one food scare after another.

Several of these, recently, have concerned genetically modified (GM) foods. Although some experts tell us that these foods will do us no harm and that the concern about them is just scaremongering (spreading of rumour), it would not be the first time that such statements turned out to be wrong. In any case, other experts tell us that GM food is potentially very damaging to health and, at the very best, the jury is still out on the matter.

In many countries, products which have been genetically modified are supposed to show this information on their labels, but now some of the large food producers are saying that it is growing increasingly difficult to separate GM food from the conventional varieties. Meanwhile, people go on protesting over the sowing of trial GM crops.

Pesticides（杀虫剂）and chemical fertilizers are also a cause of concern. In the last few years, a great many people have started to buy organic produce, although this is much more expensive than that which is grown using modern conventional methods. They do so in an effort to stop filling their bodies, and those of their children, with poisonous chemicals.

Some experts claim that organically grown food is no healthier than other food, because the poison level in food is not high enough to be harmful. However, there is an increased demand for organic food and this is not a temporary fashion. There are those who feel that some experts may not be objective, but are part of the powerful food lobby, the chief concern of which is to increase organic food production with a corresponding increase in profits.

The use of additives（添加剂）, also, is a source of anxiety to consumers. These are often added to food to improve the colour or the flavour. However, it is thought that some of these may be the cause of allergies（过敏）, or even the cause of behavioural problems in children.

We have to eat to live. The problem is: what is safe to eat?

16．What is people’s main concern about GM foods?They might have some dangers we don’t know yet.

17．What does the author mean by “the jury is still out on the matter” (Para. 2)?The matter is still uncertain.

18．Concerning organic food, the author tries to tell readers that profit-making is behind the drive to produce more organic food

19．It can be inferred from the last two paragraphs that food additives may be more harmful to children.

20．Which of the following best describes the author’s attitude towards the food we eat? Anxious.